Harry Reid takes another swipe at Trump, then urges him to heal US

Published 11:19 am, Friday, November 11, 2016

WASHINGTON >> The latest on the U.S. presidential transition (all times EST):

10 a.m.

The departing Senate minority leader says Donald Trump’s election “has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry” and he now must lead “a time of healing.”

In a statement Friday, Nevada Democrat Harry Reid said white nationalists, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Islamic State extremist group are celebrating Trump’s election “while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear.”

He says that “does not feel like America.”

Reid said the fear felt by blacks, Hispanics, gay Americans and others is rational “because Donald Trump has talked openly about doing terrible things to them.”

Reid said Trump’s victory doesn’t absolve him of “the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans.”

He said Trump “may not possess the capacity” to relieve those fears but must begin trying to do that immediately.

___

9:30 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump is promising a “busy day” assembling his government — but isn’t sharing any details.

The celebrity businessman was holed up in Trump Tower Friday morning meeting with senior staff members. He tweeted that he had a “busy day planned in New York.”

He added that he “will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!”

But Trump’s staff has not offered any guidance as to what on the president-elect’s schedule in the coming days.

On Thursday, he broke with tradition and did not bring the traveling transition press pool — a group of reporters who follow the president’s movements — on his trip to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama and congressional leaders.

____

7:30 a.m.

A Hillary Clinton supporter who was “heartbroken” over Tuesday’s election says she decided to go on a hike in the woods — and ran into the former presidential candidate herself.

Margot Gerster said in a Facebook post that she was heading home following her hike Thursday in Clintons’ hometown of Chappaqua, New York, when she saw Clinton and former President Bill Clinton walking their dogs.

Gerster said she hugged the former Democratic nominee and told her that one of her “proudest moments as a mother” was taking her daughter with her to vote for Clinton. She posted a picture with Clinton that she says was snapped by the former president.